Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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REEVES, Jim

(b 20 Aug. '24, Galloway TX; d 31 July '64) The next big country crossover artist after Eddy Arnold, and one of the most popular of all time, shedding steel guitar and fiddles from his sound for a pop-country style and scoring international hits. Played baseball at U of Texas, then with St Louis Cardinals, but leg injury stopped sports career; became disc jockey and newsreader at KGRI (Henderson TX); recorded for Macy in Houston, moved to Shreveport LA, became announcer at KWKH and soon a performer on Louisiana Hayride. Signed with Abbott and scored no. 1 country hit with second release, 'Mexican Joe' '53, followed by no. 2 'Bimbo'; RCA bought his Abbott contract incl. 36 Abbott masters; he scored more than 40 top ten hits in country chart altogether, 25 hits in pop Hot 100. First RCA hit with his own song 'Yonder Comes A Sucker' '55; top ten hits incl. his own 'Am I Losing You?' and 'Four Walls' '57 (latter written by Marvin Moore and George Campbell; his biggest pop hit at no. 2 in both country and pop charts); 'Billy Bayou' '58 (no. 1 country), 'He'll Have To Go' '59 (no. 1), his own 'I'm Getting Better' '60 (no. 3); 'Losing Your Love' '61, 'Adios Amigo' and 'I'm Gonna Change Everything' '62, 'Welcome To My World' '64, all at no. 2; 'I Guess I'm Crazy' '64 (no. 1). After USAF tours to Europe '57, '59 he had over two dozen pop hits in UK, often different from the US ones. His single-engined Beechcraft private plane crashed in a heavy rainstorm near Nashville, followed by no. 1 hits 'This Is It', 'Is It Really Over?', 'Distant Drums', 'Blue Side Of Lonesome', 'I Won't Come In While He's There' '64--7. He also had duet hits with Ginny Wright ('I Love You' '54 on Fabor) and Dottie West 'Love Is No Excuse' '64; he was elected to Country Music Hall of Fame '67, continued to have hits through '70s, many records given new updated backing tracks; Deborah Allen duetted with Reeves record for top ten hit 'Take Me In Your Arms And Hold Me' '80; Owen Bradley created duets by superstars Reeves and Patsy Cline, who never recorded together when they were alive, incl. top ten 'Have You Ever Been Lonely?' '81. Many Reeves compilations incl. Live At The Opry from Country Music Foundation, four-CD Gentleman Jim and inclusive twelve-CD Welcome To My World (the whole enchilada), both on Bear Family.